Electric signaling.



No 849,172. PATENTED APR. 2, 1907. J. B. STRUBLE. ELECTRIC SIGNALING.

APPLICATION FILED no. 3, 1902; RENEWED JAN. 17. 1906.

UNITED sTATns PATENT omen.

JACOB B. STRUBLE, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIONSWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Batenteot April 2, 1907.

Application filed December 3, 1902. Renewed January 17,1906. Serial No.296,446.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB B. STRUBLE, residing at \Vilkinsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and Stat e of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the UnitedStates, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvementsin Electric Signaling, of which the following is a specification In anapplication filed December 3, 1902, Serial No. 133.711, I have describedand claimed a signaling apparatus for railways involving the control oroperation of one or more signals by another signal or signals bymodifying or changing one or more of the characteristics of analternating current.

The invention described and claimed in the present application relatesto a signaling apparatus for railways in which one signal .is controlledby another by modifying one ofthe characteristicsi. e.', the frequencyof the alternations of the signaling-current employed in thetrack-circuit for operating or controlling the signals.

In the accompanying drawing is shown diagrammatically twotracks-sections with signals and operating and controlling circuits,&c., embodying my invention.

In the practice of my inventionthe line of rails .1 is'made electricallycontinuous, while the'other line of rails is divided into .sections 2 3,&c., by means of insulation or any other means known in the artinterposed between the adjacent ends of said sections. The generators 6and 6 have their terminals connected to the continuous rail 1, while theother terminals are connected to the feedwires 7 and 7. These generatorsare so constructed or operated as to generate in their respectivecircuits currents of different fre quencies. The feed-wires7 and 7 areconnected to contactplates 10 and 11 of a circuit breaking or shiftingdevice, the movable member 12 I which is adapted to be shifted inaccordance with the conditions existing upon the section 3, preferablyby means'of the home signal 4* of said section. The movable member 12isconnected through the. primary 9 of the transformer A to-the continuousline of rails 1. p a movement of the movable member 12 from one to theother of the contact-plates 10 and 11 will afiect .a change in thefrequency of the current in the track-circuit of which rail By thisconstruction 2 forms a part. The secondary 8 of the transformer A hasits terminals connected, respectively, to the continuous line of railsand to the section-rails of section 2, a resistance 13 being interposedso as to prevent an excessive flow of current in the track-circuit whenthe latter is shortcircuited by a train. At the entrance end of block 2,I employ a mechanism for controlling the signals operative on theshifting-field principle. The main exciting-coil 25 of this mechanismsurrounding the core 24 has its terminals connected, respectively, tothe continuous rail 1 and the rail-section 2. The core 24 of thismechanism, which is arranged out of line with the core 24, is excitedinductively by a closed circuit, including coils 35 and 36,

one on the core 24 and the other on the core 24. A disk 29 is pivotallymounted in operative relation to the cores, so as to move freely betweenthem, and is adapted to be shifted-in one directionby electric energyand in the opposite direction by any suitable power, as gravity. Movablecontact-fingers 30 and 31 are connected to the disk, so as to be shiftedinto and outof contact with plates 32 and 33, thereby closingv thecircuits through the motors 17 and 18 of signals 4 and 5. Provision ismade for limiting the movement of the disk under certain conditionshereinafter specified by means of a slotted connection 37 with a weight38, which normally rests upon a support 39. These circuits may includetherein any suitable form of generator, preferably the secondary of atransformer 19, the primary of which has its terminals connected to thecontinuous rail 1 and the feedwire 7.

The operation of the motor which actuates circuit-controllers 30 and 31depends upon the density of the Foucault currents induced within themovable disk or member 29. As Foucault currents are proportional to thefrequency, the motor is so constructed that the torque exerted by member29 islikewise approximately proportional to the frequency. Hence whenthe movable member 12 of the circuit-shifting device is in contact -withthe erator having a lower frequency the mechanical effort of disk 29 dueto the currents in duced in it will be sufficient only to raise the diskuntil its upward movementis arrested by a'weight 38, resting on asuitable support 39. By "this movement contact-finger 30 is brou ht intoelectrical contact with plate 32, there y closing the circuit throughthe motor of signal 4 and clearing said signal' When,

however, signal 4 is cleared, bringing the.

I fingers 30 and 31 in contact with the plates 32 and 33, closing bothsignal-circuits and clearing both signals.

I claim herein-as my invention- 1. In asignaling system for railways,the combination of sources of alternating currents of differentfrequencies, a signal-controlling mechanism operative by such cur--rents, and means for eflectin a change from one alternating current to te" other in the of a series 0 operation of said signal-controllingmechanism. I a

2. In a signaling system for railways, the combination withatrack-circuit, of sources of alternating currents, a translating deviceoperativeby such currents for controlling signalc1rcu1ts, a means foreffecting a change in the frequency of alternations of said currents insaid track-circuits.

3. In a si nalingsystem, the combination I track-sections, eachcomprising a track-circuit, a source of alternating ourrent for each ofsaid track-circuits of different freqluencies, a translating device incircuit W1t each trackc1rcu1tfor controlllng signaling-circuits, saidtranslating device being responslve to an alternating current of onefre-' quency to control one signal-circuit and responsive to analternating current of a different frequency to control a secondsignal-circuit, and means for effecting a change in the alternatingcurrent from one frequency to a diflerent frequency. 1 4. In a si nalingsystem, the combination of aseries of track-sections, each comprising atrack-circuit, a source of alternating current fo'r'eachl of saidtrack-circuits of different frequencies, a translating device in circuitwith each track-circuit for controlling signaling-circuits, saidtranslating device being responsive to the alternating current of onefrequency to control one signal-circuit,

and responsive to an alternating current of a difierent frequency tocontrol a second sigoetB, j. 1":

nal-circuit, and means for eflecting a change from one I quency tocontrol a second signal-circuit,

and means operated by one of thesignals for effecting a change in thealternating-current frequency in the track-circuit oi the precedingtrack-section.

6. In a signaling system, the combination of two block sections', asource of alternating currents connected to the track-circuits of saidsections, signals controlling one of said sections and governed by thecurrents in the track-circuit, and means controlled by a signal of onesection for changing the frequency of alternations of the current in thetrackcircuit of the other section.

7. In a signaling system for railways, the

combination of a series of track-sections, a track-circuit for eachtrack-section, signal mechanisms controlled from the track-circuits',two sources of alternating current for supplying alternatingcurrent to the trackcircuits, and means operated by a signal foreffecting a change in the fre uency of alternations of said currents int e tracir-circuit whereby the operation of another signal iscontrolled.

8. A controlling mechanism for a plurality of signals responsive to analternating current of one frequency to control one signal andresponsive to an alternating current of a different frequency to controla second signal and means for supplying the alternating ourrents ofdifferent frequencies to said 1nechan-' ism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

